Vanishing Dreams
by HP Slash Luv
Summary: Cornelius Fudge learns about how dreams sometimes change.


**Written For:**

 **Beta'ed by Jill.**

 **Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition:** Round 4 - **Beater 1 -** Write about the Fudges.  
 _Prompts - 1. (color) silver / 3. (word) rare_ **  
**

 **Once Upon a Time:** Neal Cassidy/Bealfire  
 _Prompt - write about forgiveness._

 **Friends Competition:** TOW The Ring  
 _Prompt - Use the word prompt 'ring'._

 **In this story, Cornelius Fudge was born in 1960, and I'm making his wife the same age.**

 **Also, for those of you who don't know, he was elected as Minister in 1990**.

xXx

 **Vanishing Dreams**

The day was raining with wind that howled like a wolf to the moon. It was a rather dreary day for rather dreary news.

Cornelius stared at Edna. He wore a hopeful smile. "Well?" he asked.

Edna Fudge avoided her husband's eyes as she played with her wedding ring. She was young, only twenty-six, but she already had streaks of silver through her hair. It gave her a sophisticated look that didn't detract from her beauty, though. "No," she whispered as tears came to her eyes.

Cornelius' shoulders slumped, and the smile left his face. "Oh. It's okay, Edna. We'll keep trying."

xXx

Cornelius was in his library, searching for a book on Defense tactics, when Edna came running in. "I'm pregnant!"

He turned around, dropping the book he held in his shock. His eyes widened as he saw the large smile on her face. And that's when he knew he had heard right; her smiles had become so rare these days, so if he saw one, it _had_ to be brilliant news.

He ran to her and enveloped her in a strong embrace. "We're going to be parents?" he asked, just because he wanted to hear it again.

He felt her nod against his chest. "I'm pregnant. I'm going to be a mum, and you're going to be a dad."

Cornelius closed his eyes as relief almost overwhelmed him. He was finally going to be a father. He couldn't wait.

xXx

When Cornelius saw his daughter for the first time, he never had such a light feeling in his heart, not even when he had married Edna. He suddenly knew his purpose in the world, and that was to make sure Darla Fudge had everything she needed to live a long and happy life.

He wanted to be a good father, and he hoped he didn't let her down.

"She's so beautiful," Edna breathed in awe as Darla slept soundly in her arms.

Cornelius nodded. "The most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

"A dream come true," she added.

"Yes," he agreed, stuck by how he now had almost everything he wanted. He had a loving wife and a perfect daughter. He would like to maybe have a son in a couple of years, but he didn't need one to be satisfied with his family life.

The only other thing he needed was to move up in the Ministry of Magic and further his career, so he could continue providing the financial support his family needed.

xXx

Cornelius was in his home office going over some paperwork. He was thirty years old and already Minister of Magic. He never thought he'd get elected so quickly.

He remembered the day Darla was born, thinking about how to advance his career. And then he had decided to run for Minister, but he hadn't actually believed he would win.

He did, though. Sometimes, he still felt awestruck by the truth. Now Darla was three years and still so perfect, and Edna was a stay-at-home mother who supported Cornelius in everything he wanted to do, no matter how much it took him away from the family.

He tried to be home at least one day a week, and that was why he was working in his office today.

There was a knock on his door, and then Edna peaked her head in. "Can we talk?"

He looked up from the parchment he was reviewing. "What's wrong?"

She stepped inside. "You know I was taking Darla to the Healer today."

He thought for a moment and then remembered a conversation from the other night. "Oh, yeah. You were worried that she hadn't showed any signs of accidental magic yet. Well? The Healer told you there was nothing to worry about, right? All kids are different, and Darla is just a late bloomer." He grinned. "Come on. Tell me I'm right, so I can say 'I told you so.'"

She swallowed. "I would love to be teased because I worried for no reason. I would love nothing more than to hear 'I told you so.'"

The smile left his face, and he stood up. "Edna?"

"Healer Mirandez said Darla's magical levels are extremely low. As in… squib-level low."

He paled. It couldn't be. His perfect Darla couldn't be a Squib. "Healer Mirandez was mistaken. Go to another Healer."

Crystal tears rolled down her cheeks. "I knew you would say that, so I asked for a second opinion from a different Healer at St. Mungo's. It was the same diagnosis. Darla is a Squib. She will never go to Hogwarts or any other magical school, and we need to deal with it. We need to figure out the best way to help her understand and think about getting her into Muggle school." She paused. "Cornelius, are you listening to me?"

He shook his his head. This was a nightmare. How did his suddenly perfect life vanish? "I need to get out of here," he mumbled.

"Cornelius, you can't just leave!" Edna shrieked. "We have a daughter we need to talk to! Think about Darla. Cornelius!"

He ignored Edna's yells. He quickly left the house and Apparated when he got past the wards. He didn't know when he was going to be back; he just knew he had to leave.

xXx

Millicent Bagnold shook her head at her successor. "Cornelius, look at you. When was the last time you've been home?"

Cornelius didn't look away from the bottle of Firewhisky that was clutched in a tight grip. Beads of condensation slid down the bottle, almost hypnotizing him.

"Cornelius?" she asked louder. "When were you last home?"

"A week. Maybe more," he finally answered.

"Edna asked me to find you and talk to you, but I don't even know why. Did you two get into a fight?"

He sighed. "Nope, just my hopes and dreams for Darla disappearing in a cloud of smoke."

Millicent sat down next to him. "What hopes and what dreams?"

He laid his head down on top of the table, his hand never letting go of the Firewhiskey. "She's a Squib."

Millicent's eyes softened a bit. "That's horrible, but it's not the end of the world."

He finally looked at her. "How can you say that? She'll never be able to mingle with the magical world because they'll never accept her. She'll always be an outsider. She won't ever experience the joy of magic or the exhilaration of learning a new spell."

She nodded. "Maybe, but the real question is does her being a Squib mean she's no longer perfect in your eyes? And does that also mean you can't love her anymore?"

"Of course it doesn't mean that. She's my baby girl. I'll always love her. I just had such high hopes for her. Dreams that will never come true."

Millicent rested a hand on his shoulder. "You can get new hopes and dreams for her. What's important is that she finds happiness in the life she can lead. And as long as you and Edna love her, she'll be okay. What you need to do is go home to your family and beg for forgiveness. You left during a hard time, and you better hope Edna loves you enough to accept your apology."

He stood up.

Millicent followed his lead. "Are you too drunk to Apparate?"

"This was my first," Cornelius answered as he gestured to the half-empty bottle. He turned around to leave, but before he got all the way to the door, without looking back, he said, "Thanks."

"Good luck," Millicent said.

Cornelius nodded. "He had a feeling he was going to need it."

xXx

"I'm sorry."

Edna wasn't moved. "I didn't know if you would ever come home. After everything I've done for you, you abandoned not only me, but your daughter. I thought you were better than that. I had no idea I married someone who believed Squibs were something to be ashamed of."

He shook his head. "It's not that. I still love Darla. I'm not like other Pure-bloods. I would never disown her or get rid of her. Darla, and you, are my whole life. I just… I needed some time to come to grips with the new reality."

Edna glared at him. " _You_ needed time. What about me? Not only did I have to come to grips by myself, but I also had to take care of Darla and try to explain to her what being a Squib meant. You should have been there for that, but once again, you were gone. Just like you're never home because of the Ministry. Some days I wish you lost the election."

Pain exploded in his chest. "I know I made a mistake when I left and didn't come home the same day. But I thought you were okay with me becoming Minister of Magic. You were always so supportive."

"Because it was what you wanted, and I wanted your happiness." She looked away. "And I'm angry right now, so I threw your career in your face. That was low of me. I'm just so mad at you. I don't think I've ever been this furious at you."

"What can I do to earn your forgiveness? I'll do anything," Cornelius promised.

Edna sighed. "Go spend some time with Darla; she missed her daddy. You better reassure her that you love her and you being gone had nothing to do with her not having magic. Just say you had to do something for work."

"And us?" he asked fearfully.

Her eyes were hard. "It will take time for me to forgive you."

He swallowed. "I understand." He left their bedroom and went in search of his daughter. He knew things weren't going to be fixed between him and Edna anytime soon, but he understood that he had messed up, and he had no one to blame but himself. They would be fixed in time, though, because he wasn't going anywhere.

 _Fin_

xXx

(word count: 1,660)


End file.
